Give Back For the Holidays

It’s officially less than one week before Christmas and if you’re at all like me you’re hip deep in holiday hoopla. Your inbox is full of email offers, the tv is blaring sales ads every two minutes and catalogs have taken over your mailbox.

What I’m about to say probably qualifies as some sort of major retail sin but I’m going to say it anyway: If you still have presents to buy for loved ones who happen to be pet lovers consider donating to an animal welfare group in their name instead.

These organizations, along with most non-profits, have have had a pretty rough year financially and need all the help they can get. Every little bit can literally save an animal’s life. Most will send some sort of gift acknowledgement and if they can’t do this in time for Christmas you can simply say it yourself in a holiday card.

If you’re looking for good candidates here’s a working list of folks I do work with and I know will put your gift to good use. If you have suggestions for other worthy groups, please comment on this post. I’ll check it out and add it to the list.

If money is tight and a financial donation isn’t possible you have other options. Most groups are also in desperate need of volunteers and would love to have your help either with the animals directly or in some sort of other capacity: helping at adoption fairs, answering emails, etc.

They always need supplies, too. Old blankets, towels, pet toys and even newspapers come in handy and are often in short supply. Check out their websites for a current list of what they need.